I have lived out here on the prairies of Illinois for about nine years now. Not long.
But in all that time I have never seen so many toads. They are on the road, in the ditches, in the gardens, everywhere. On my daily walk to the West Barn and back I search the path like a beach-comber, making sure that I do not step on one. Often I am ushering them back into the long grass just as the dogs rush past half way to no-where in a hurry. The toads are just everywhere.
I am not sure what kind of toads these are. But isn’t he beautiful. This particularly cheerful specimen posed for his picture yesterday. He even waited for me to run inside to get the camera.
The turkeys stay in their new run when they feel like it. Hugo and I are going to have to make some adjustments. The fences are very high but I think I will have to cover the top as well. They can come out into the garden in the evening but they cannot live on the verandah for the day every day.
Naomi and Aunty Del. Lovely girls.
The men arrived yesterday and opened up the field. I suppose they will finish today. It will be a small crop from these fields this year. All the flooding took a massive toll. Though some of the fields on more sandy soil have bumper crops this year.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Love you friend on the farm
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
65 responses to “The Year of the Toad”
Miss A will love the toads!
Your garden borders don’t look nearly as exhausted as mine do. You’d think it was November by the looks of mine.
Does anyone else know the song (Tom Paxton???) The Urge for Going? It’s a beaut!
This is interesting because for awhile there we had massive quantities of black moths. Everywhere. I would mow the lawn and they would rise from the grass along the fence like a cloud. I wonder what this all means.
Boo is looking so noble. What a handsome young thing he’s become. The cows are so lovely.
Love the sounds of bull frogs. I have one in the woods but he’s obviously not eating the darn stink bugs. Neither are the birds. They don’t like them either. Everything looks happy on your farm.
Isn’t that interesting about all those toads….. I see one occasionally here but when I was young they were far more plentiful. Last spring I made ‘Toad Abodes’ with my grandchildren by painting upended clay pots, then putting them out in the garden… propped up a bit so the toad could get inside. But I don’t think any toads ‘took up’ in the abodes. I enjoyed your comments about the turkeys loving it a bit too much on your veranda. You’re having enough trouble trying not to step on toads… you don’t want to also have to look out for turkey plops!!
I would guess that torrential rains equal many toads! I bet they help keep down the bug populations! Cheers!
Oh how I love the portrait of pensive Boo! And I love the toad too. Very cute. I’ve only seen one in my entire life…in sixth grade my friend brought him over to my house. We were in the yard. She held him between her thumb and third finger. I was fascinated by all his bumps.
Good morning! I just recently discovered your blog and enjoy reading about daily life on your farm, with my morning cuppa coffee. Thank you, Cecilia!
Here comes another Nanny Boo fan. I love that photo. Not so keen on the toads, but they have their place in the scheme of things
Toads are one of my favorite kinds of animal. They are wonderful! My guess, based on relative size of toad and its bumps, is an American Toad. I love them so!
Up here on our little acreage just outside of Chicago, we have notice an abundance of frogs, toad, and their ilk this year. I rarely walk out to our little prairie plantings without a toad hopping past and pulled a weed the other day with a toad attached to its roots. The tree frogs are still singing their night songs and we even had a fellow hiding in the back door jam (which led to an unfortunate incident).
Wow, you are lucky C. to have all those beauties hopping around…I have never seen a toad here where I live in the Pacific Northwest. Frogs yes, toads no. 😦 We have a resident frog that lives on our porch and actually spends the day sleeping in one of the patio chairs underneath a pillow….Same chair, same pillow…every day! I have a note on the pillow to check under it before sitting down…Frog Habitat! Talk about a cushy life…he’s been a porch frog for several years now! 🙂
what is the difference between a toad and a frog; I am a city mouse
http://allaboutfrogs.org/weird/general/frogtoad.html
Thanks, Pat! Esther asked the question I was going to ask. Love, Gayle
You guys are wonderful today.. asking and answering each others questions – I love that.
Stunning picture of Boo! I’d be happy with the toad-levels, less bad bugs around.